Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The next word in the book that my daughter in law, Kim Horton Hicks gave me is………
Afflictions
And don't we all have those? As I was laying in bed last night sleepless, God gave me the message to say about this. He showed me in one of those dreams we all have, where it's some where between sleep and wake. It was all about a mountain climber. You know you've heard the song,'' Lord You gave me a mountain this time''. But climbing the mountain is the easy part. I was given this message. When I was fully awake I understood what the Lord was speaking about. You see climbing the mountain you can examine all the foot holds and know where you can place your hands and feet for the best stability. When you get to the top of the mountain then there's no way off but climbing down, that is unless you have a helicopter awaiting, or parasail. Any experienced mountain climber will tell you that it's far more dangerous descending. As you're climbing down the mountain you can see your handholds, but you cannot see the places for your footholds. Far more climbers have died in their decendsions. And if you really think about something else, at the bottom of the mountain is the valley. It's the valley when we're at our lowest point. As the Bible says" as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil".
Climbing a mountain there's always the hope of better things ahead. And when we get on top of the mountain, we have reached their goal. But each time we reach our goal, there's always another mountain, another decendsion , another valley. They're just the ups and downs of life.
Our afflictions start when we're standing high on the mountain. And sometimes those climbs down or grievous. Sometimes, we lose things that can never be replaced. Sometimes it's co-climbers that have slipped, and has fallen into the valley of death. Sometimes we ourselves slip and are wounded. Sometimes we just get exhausted, and don't think we can make it anymore.
And once we reached the valley of the shadow of death, we know that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is walking beside us. Because it's only a shadow! And as long as we realize that fact, then we know that shadows cannot hurt us. It's a trial, to strengthen us yes, because each time we go through trials of afflictions we are stronger. God never gives us more than we can take, nor takes more than we can give! Most afflictions are temporary, but there are some that are not. These afflictions that are not temporary, God has given us all the tools that we need to live with these afflictions.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for GOOD to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Just remember this, throughout each and every one of the afflictions that we go through in life there is a beginning and there is an end. And the important thing to remember is what we let these afflictions make us into. We are either weakened and let these afflictions destroy our faith, or we get stronger and build our faith. My prayer is that as I go through my affliction I get stronger and stronger as I stomp on old satan's head. For it's through Jesus Christ who give me the strength to put on the whole armor of God.
Your comments are always welcomed

until next time, Willard and I both wish you health and happiness, God bless and God save.

Thursday, August 9, 2012



I saw this on Facebook just a few minutes ago and it's so true. While raising our children that's what we want for their lives, for them to be happy. That is………… As long as we are happy with the way they're living their lives. LOL. In truth we really want our children to live out the life that we dreamed for them. We want our children to finish school, go to college, and become people that are highly respected in our community. We want our children to be someone we can brag about. And when that doesn't happen, even when they're very happy with their own lives. We are not happy. We try our best to accept the path that our children have chosen for themselves. Sometimes it is easy, but then you get that call where they need something or they're in trouble, then it's hard to accept their lifestyles, because their lifestyles interfere with your own. Being a parent has got to be the hardest never ending job there is on this earth.
Comments always welcome
Until next time, Willard and I wish you health and happiness, God bless and God save.

Affections

The next word in the book that my daughter-in-law gave me is affections. Now when we think of affections we think of course about our love and caring for others. This is not a Christian monopoly. Every person in the world loves and cares for someone else, sinner or Christian. In fact that's just what this verse in Matthew tells us. Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
In simpler language =If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
All the things that I have ever done for anyone is nothing and never will be anything on this earth. You can't do good things to get God to love you anymore than he already does. You can't buy God's love, nor can you buy redemption by good deeds. Although many Christians believe that their good deeds make them a better Christian, they are fooling themselves, for surely they are not fooling God. And affections is not the act of doing any good deed. Affections is God-given and is imprinted in our genes from birth. It's as natural as breathing. So what is God-given affections, and what is the first priority? In Deuteronomy 6:5
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. We are taught not only should we love God above all others. We are taught to what degree we should love God in Deuteronomy 6:5 and also in Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. So now we know full well our first love is God. So how are we to love all the rest? Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.12:10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;12:11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;12:12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;12:13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.12:14Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.12:15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.12:17
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 12:19

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.12:20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
I know that this was long, but I wanted to get all these verses in to just show that even as Christians we are not living up to what God wants us to be in our Christian affections.
Comments are always welcome.
Until next time, Willard and I both wish you health and happiness, God bless and God save.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

My hair started falling out this morning. Oh, I knew it would happen, because my scalp started getting sore yesterday. And from past experience, I knew that when my scalp started to get sore like this, within a day or two my hair would start coming out. It doesn't bother me that much for some reason this time. I guess I'm getting use to all the ups and downs and ins and outs of all the therapies and treatments. I'm getting used to all the side effects and to all the gains and to all the losses. There are some things that I should let go of and not worry that much about. But there are some things that I need to hold on to tightly, and never let go of. The love that I have in my heart for my family and my friends. The faith that guides my whole being. Everything else I can let go of without too much problem. If you really think about it, life is eternal. So when people start talking about dying, I think about death being just the doorway to my existence somewhere else. If life is truly eternal, then there is no death, there is no darkness. Walking through the doorway leaving the light of this world which is the Sun, and seeing the light on the other side of the doorway which is the Son of God. With Jesus Christ as my Lord, there is no darkness. Jesus conquered death when he rose from the grave. Not just for himself, but to all who would receive him as their Lord, as their redeemer, as their Savior, and as their personal friend, he is truly all these to me. Listen to the words of Jesus in Revelation 1:18
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
We are adopted into the family of God. The very instant that we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. What a wonderful gift God gave us all, free for the taking. Each day, that one gift, keeps blessing us throughout our life. Hallelujah, hallelujah to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
Feel free to comment.
Until next time, Willard and I both wish you health and happiness, God bless and God save.

Monday, August 6, 2012

My daughter-in-law Kim, Bobby's wife, gave me a beautiful book while I was in the hospital. The name is Explore Your Bible. Now in this book it has different references such as Access to God. Then it gives the Bible versus to read on that subject. And I thought that maybe I could talk about each one of these titles on my blog.
Access to God…….Now any Christian knows that access to God, our Heavenly Father is through Jesus Christ.
John 10:7
Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Also
John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
So any Bible reading person whether saved or unsaved has the information they need to communicate with our Heavenly Father,
Okay, so now we have the Information That we need for this blog. I have a question for You. Do you use your access to God, to talk to God as you should. do you use that wonderful gift that was given to each of us when we excepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior? I will be the first one to say that even though I have a pretty good prayer life, It's really not What It Should Be. Do We Have Those Fervent Prayers of which the Bible speaks of? Those Gut Wrenching Prayers, with Tears Running down our Faces, Pleading with God for the Sick, for the Needy, for Lost Souls. Our Spirits within Us Ache to Feel That Closeness to God When We Talk to Him in Prayer. That's What I Mean, When I Say My Prayer Life Is Not
what it should be. Sure I pray all though the day, and the prayers that I pray our sincere. And then at night when I lie in bed I pray. It's not funny at all, but sometimes I fall asleep never finishing the prayer I started. I think I alone with many others need to really think about our prayer life. Yes, God hears our prayers when we pray. But let me ask you this. Do you remember when you were a little child and you had asked your mother for a piece of candy, or whatever. If she said no or did not give an answer, you would start pleading from the bottom of your heart, begging for that piece of candy. It would not have been a quite request, it would have been a long, groaning request, that came from deep within you, because you wanted that candy just that bad. And yet, when we pray to our Almighty God, Creator of all, we just do it in a polite prayer. Think about it. Is your prayer life really what it should be, I know mine's not. I'm on my way to correcting that starting now. I hope each and every one of you will do the same. James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual FERVENT prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Psalms
54:2 Hear my PRAYER, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
Your comments are always welcomed.
Until next time, Willard and I wish you health and happiness, God bless and God save.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

I want to tell you a story. And since the joke’s not on me, well it’s pretty funny. Let me start it like this. My stepfather Jerry, loved my mother beyond what any man could possibly love a woman. He would do anything that my mother asked him to. My mother got bored easily and was actually not just moving furniture, but moving whole walls around in the house. One week we would go to visit, to see square doors and one large living room. Two weeks later we would walk into a hall, and there will be two oval doors, one leading to a small living room the other to a formal dining room. This went on for years. One day during the era of the sunken bathtubs, my mother decided she would have herself a sunken tub. Well not being able to afford the real deal, nor the professionals to install such a thing, she instructed my stepfather to just sink their present tub. Now this was one of those iron tubs with the legs that look like a lion's foot. Now my stepfather although moved many walls for my mom, was very inexperienced as far as carpentry work was concerned. He cut out the necessary boards that were in the way of the bathtub going in the hole. My mom enjoyed many baths in her sunken bathtub. Well one day, one of my brothers, who will go unnamed was using the restroom. To his shock while he was sitting on the toilet, the outside wall falls in the yard beside the house. Here he was, sitting on the toilet, where all the world could see. I know the embarrassment he had must have been unbearable, hehehe. After the bathroom incident, my stepfather decided what my mother really needed was a different house with more rooms. So he purchased her a two-story house in a very prominent neighborhood. There was one rule that he laid out to her before he would even sign the papers. There would be no walls moved, no floors cutouts, and that was that. My stepfather lived approximately 5 years after moving into this house. He died of lung cancer. My mother made every payment on the house. She made sure the payments were made. When the mortgage was reduced to where my mother only owed a little over $1000 on the house, my brother Danny offered to pay the mortgage off for my mother. That way she would have a little extra money to spend on herself. She refused my brother's offer. She said she wanted to do it herself. She paid every payment on the due date or as close as possible to it, until every last penny was paid. It was but a few months until she would join my stepfather in heaven. But she showed her respect and love for him though finishing what he started, by paying off the home they shared.
Now really the only lesson that you could possibly learn from this blog would be #1, Love makes people do strange things and #2, hire a professional!
I really wanted to tell the story so my children and their children will have something to giggle at. Plus teach them something about real love. Something they will remember in the years to come.
Until next time, Willard and I wish you health and happiness, God bless and God save.

Being in the hospital bed Thursday afternoon. Looking out the window at a beautiful sky that was painted brilliant hues of reds and pinks, purple and blues. I thought what a beautiful view God has given me for that moment. It's the moments in our lives, the special moments that we remember the most. It's also small moments in our lives, that draw our pathways to the rest of our lives. Decisions in those small moments that can turn our lives completely around. There are many moments in my life that I remember as if they were yesterday. I remember the moments that I saw my children's faces for the first time after they were born. I remember the thoughts I had about them and for them. I remember many moments in the day that Willard and I were married. I remember on the Tuesday before the Thursday that we were married. Willard and I had both gotten our medical papers so we could get the marriage license. I mentioned to Willard that the medical papers were only good for 30 days. We had already planned a date, but the medical papers would run out of date before then. Willard said, and I'll never will forget those words, he said" Well let's get married sooner then". I asked, when. LOL, Willard said how about Thursday. I said okay let's do it. I remember going to Lillington, LOL, we got the license, but there was no magistrate to perform the marriage. We ran around for hours looking for the magistrate. I remember, my son Bobby and his wife Kim were there as witnesses. Also there was Willard's niece Kay. I remember, I was going to wear a pink outfit, but there was something wrong with it so I traded for a pastel blue outfit. I remember Kay had made me a corsage thinking I would be wearing the pink. It didn't matter it was beautiful with the blue one as well. I remember on the ride back home in Kay's van, looking into Willard's eyes, and seeing the same glassy looking eyes that I had saw in the mirror just a few minutes before. We were both so very happy, and so much in love, and it showed in our eyes. I remember thinking as I looked into those eyes how happy I was. And I remember wondering what our future would hold. It's funny, but so many years have gone by since then, and so many moments. But I don't seem to remember them. All the moments, in all the years have just seemed to slip away. I guess it's true what Solomon said,
Ecclesiastics 1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Many people misinterpret this verse. As it turns out, this word vanity is actually hevel in the original Hebrew, which means "vapor", or "breath".
Therefore, our lives are not meaningless, but, as Solomon points out, in light of eternity, our lives are but a vapor, a breath. We are here today, and gone tomorrow.
So, so many moments, moments that I cannot even remember have just slipped away. But you know, it's okay. I have an eternity to think about them, when I get on the other side.
Well I guess I have confused, and bored you enough for today. But I will ask you, if you're not saved, please think about your own eternity. Because life is truly, just a breath, and then you're gone.
Until next time Willard and I wish you health and happiness, God bless and God save.